


Over Easy Holiday Prompts

by Its_Bees



Series: Over Easy [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 31 Days of Ficmas, Baking, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff without Plot, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Prompt, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Bees/pseuds/Its_Bees
Summary: A collection of winter/holiday inspired prompt-list writings set in the Over Easy Universe
Relationships: Hanzo Shimada/Original Female Character(s), Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada/Original Female Character(s), Jesse McCree/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Over Easy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036104
Kudos: 3





	1. Foreward

As much as I love my story, I seem to have found myself in a little writing rut. So, to compensate for the lack of Over Easy content you all might be getting this holiday season, I have decided I would write from a prompt list!

This is set in the Over Easy universe, with some key differences. Briallen will not have been abducted by Talon, therefore will not have her mutations. So none of this is at all canon, unfortunately. 

I'm hoping to update this every day, but I can't make any guarantees as life isn't so predictable right now. Nevertheless, you will end up with all thirty one prompts, hopefully before January hits.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and a happy Yule and bright solstice to you all!


	2. Prompt List

Starry Night

Baking

Hot Chocolate

Scarf

Music

Snowflakes

Joy

Sweets

Fuzzy Socks

Sleigh Ride

Stars

Mulled Wine

Candles

Books

Ornaments

Snowball Fight

Miracle

Christmas Market

Apron

Coming Home

Wrapping Paper

Christmas Tree

Fairy Lights

Secrets

Family

Cookies

Reunions

Snowman

Wishes

Silence

Fireworks


	3. Starry Night

Jesse busied himself with the decorations on the basket, tweaking the little stars that decorated its wicker lining. Tonight was going to be perfect, or so he hoped. Not only was tonight supposed to be a full moon, but it was also supposed to be a super moon and the clearest night in England in a long time. He had everything planned; Han was going to be arriving in a flight from the Himalayas and Briallen was going to be leaving the office around the same time. Han wouldn’t get much of a chance to settle in, sadly, but it would be worth it when he dragged them both down to the greenhouse where the sky would be projected onto the glass. He’d sent one of Athena’s drones down to some farm out in one of the less populated areas of England to get a good look at the stars and everything so they could do this. 

It had been a long time since either Briallen or Hanzo got a break, they’d both been working so hard lately. Neither of them were really willing to take a break either. On top of her regular work, Briallen had a project to micromanage to ensure no one blew up the lab - it was a miracle how quickly she caught on to all the science jargon she’d been subjected to, Jesse had spent plenty of time down there and still didn’t understand a lick of it - and it left her stressed and tired when she came home. Similarly, Hanzo had been stationed in the Himalayas to deal with some political disputes that had the potential to spiral into a real threat with the goal of mitigating it. He complained plenty about the long nights spent trying to sort things out and the less than stellar lodging. It was about time both of them got some nice R & R. And Jesse had taken it upon himself to make sure they got it, even if he had to make it a surprise.

“Thanks for helpin’ me out, Lena,” he said, finally finished gluing the stars to the basket. “No one makes those brandy snaps like you do.”

Lena beamed over at him, easily arranging them in the basket next to the sandwiches and other assorted snacks. “Of course! It’s so sweet of you to do all this for them! They’re lucky to have you, Jesse.”

Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. “ ‘S the least I can do. Figured they’ve been workin’ so hard and all that, they deserve a little somethin’ special.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll be glad for it!” She clapped him lightly on the back. “I’ll see you later, ya? Hana and I are gonna meet up with Lucio at the pub. You three are welcome to join us.” 

He chuckled, offering her a smile. “I dunno. I think after this, they’re both going to be dead tired. We’ll think about it, though. Thanks for the offer, Lena.”

She shrugged. “If you change your mind. Ta!”

Jesse smiled to himself as she left, looking down at the basket of food on the counter in front of him. He’d worked hard on some of the little pies and everything. Who knew it could be so difficult to get a pie to cooperate? But it would all be worth it when he got them all together, when they could finally relax and-

That was his phone ringing, the cute little chime that he had set as Briallen’s ringtone. He was simultaneously filled with dread and joy. 

“Hey there, sweetpea” He readjusted one of the glass cups as he answered the phone. “To what do I owe the pleasure of hearin’ your sweet voice?”

Briallen sighed, and Jesse’s stomach dropped. “I’m a little swamped in both the office and the lab today, Jess,” she said, the stress clear in her voice. “I don’t know if I’m going to make it in time to welcome Han home with you. I know how much you’ve been looking forward to him coming home, so I want you to go without me.”

“Oh.” He deflated, trying not to let his disappointment show. “Are you, uh, do you know when you’re leavin’?”

“I- Hey! Don’t drag that over here! Pick it up! The metal will scratch and the base will become unstable! _Dul go h-olc ort_ ,” she mumbled. Jesse could already see her pinching the bridge of her nose as she cursed. “I don’t know, Jess. I’m sorry. I’ve got reports to file and idiots to manage. It probably won’t be until late tonight.”

“Right, okay. Well, you keep yourself outta trouble, missy! Make sure you’re drinkin’ plenty of water while you’re out there. Jus’ let me know when you finally get out, okay?” He tried hard not to let himself be too upset by this. She had an important job to do, after all, and sometimes that took precedence. Still, he kind of wished he could tell her just to drop it all and come with him to get Hanzo.

“Yeah, I will. _Is breá liom tú,_ Jesse.”

“Love you too, sweetheart.”

The call ended, abruptly cutting off her quick admonishment as someone did something wrong that had caught her attention. 

Jesse sighed as he set his phone down, rubbing at his face. It was fine! She’d just be getting out late, is all. She could still come join him and Hanzo in the greenhouse when she was finally finished. All wasn’t lost.

He still had about a half an hour until Hanzo’s flight came in, so he could relax, knowing everything would still work out. After all, he’d put so much effort into it, how could it not work out? 

His phone buzzed, a text this time, and somehow he knew it brought more bad news. It was Han, of course it was. There was a storm, the ship had to land, his flight would be delayed until the storm passed.

Jesse blew out a frustrated breath, tossing his phone onto the counter. Of course, he should have expected this. What was that law again? _Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong_? He couldn’t remember who’s law it was, but it seemed fitting. 

It was okay. He could wait. The food could be reheated, the footage would still be there. He would just have to wait. So, with his phone in his hands, he settled down on his couch, and waited.

Jesse awoke to fingers in his hair and a pair of whispering voices. Groaning, he smiled, leaning into the touch and letting out a sigh. “I’m awake, I’m awake, promise,” he grunted, opening his eyes. He looked up, meeting Briallen’s honey-brown eyes peering down at him, a smile on her lips.

“Hey there, sleepy head! No wonder you weren’t answering our texts, you were out like a rock,” she chuckled, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead. 

“What time is it?” he asked, closing his eyes to just enjoy the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. 

“Late. But neither Briallen nor I have eaten,” Hanzo said, slipping his shoes off at the door. “Have you?”

“Nah, not since lunch. I, uh… I had plans,” he started sheepishly, glancing over at his boyfriend. “Tonight’s kinda special, so I made a picnic. Thought we could all go down to the greenhouse to look at the stars…”

“That sounds like it would have been lovely,” Briallen sighed, slipping her fingers out of his hair to wrap her arms around his neck. “But the greenhouse closed a while ago…” She hummed softly, the buzz against the side of his head making him tingle. “You know what… Hey, Han, go grab all the pillows and blankets you can find.”

Hanzo raised an eyebrow at her before he nodded and made his way over to the closet in Jesse’s bedroom.

“Jesse, baby, I need you to scooch all of this furniture out of the way,” she continued, pressing a kiss to his temple. “I’ll go reheat the food while you’re at it.”

Jesse looked up at her. “And just what are you planning, missy?” he asked, reaching up to playfully tug a strand of her hair.

She just giggled and kissed him again. “You’ll see! Get cracking, cowboy!”

By the time everything was done, there was a large empty space in the middle of his floor that was quickly filled with a nest of blankets and pillows. It looked quite comfortable, actually. 

“Alright, doll, what’s up? Why the redecoratin’?” he asked, letting her set down the picnic basket before he wrapped an arm around her waist. 

“Well, I figured, you put so much effort into planning a nice picnic for us, we could still have it! We can use an Athena drone to project the sky onto your ceiling and do it here!” she said, smiling up at him. 

Jesse paused, blinking down at her as his chest filled with warmth. Smiling, he wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her into a hug. “Darl’, you didn’t have to go and do that… This was meant to be a gift for the both of you! I know how hard y’all’ve been workin’ and-”

“Jesse, we don’t need some fancy outing,” Hanzo cut in, shaking his head at the cowboy. “Just being here with you is gift enough.”

Unsure of how to respond, Jesse just beckoned the archer to join them in the hug. Soon enough, they were all piled together in the nest of blankets, looking up at the stars projected onto his ceiling. As he sat there, listening to Briallen chatter on, he realised that, while Lena had been right, he was also lucky to have them.


	4. Baking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was on a bit of a time crunch today, so there's not any dialogue between the dragons. That will change later, however

Raijin liked this new woman. He’d be remiss not to like her, after Hanzo had spent so much emotional energy on her, plus she smelled nice. So, like any good dragon does when they find themselves favouring a human, he protected her. There wasn’t much to protect her from in the compound, but whatever there was, he was there to stop it. She was clumsier than she thought, so he’d scurry along and move things out of her way. Or he’d hunt down those little flying bug things that would annoy her while she worked. It was the little things that counted after all, right?

Sometimes, on days like today, he’d protect her from herself. 

Baking was a nightmare for him, there were so many things that could go wrong, or ways she could hurt herself, and he endeavoured to make sure none of them happened. His efforts were made to be harder by the fact that she would not allow him near any of the bakes in progress. Any time he’d get close enough to pull her hand away from that hot pan, she’d be on him in an instant, picking him up and setting him on the floor with his sister.

Fujin was no help in these scenarios. The more calm of the draconic siblings, she trusted Briallen not to do anything dangerous, or at least that’s what she said. Raijin knew she didn’t want to hinder the progress of the bakes so she might get a few bites of them. She didn’t mind if Briallen accidentally burned herself, or cut her finger open with a knife. In fact, Fujin had wanted to help in the beginning, but she received the same treatment her brother had; a gentle hand around the middle, a soft admonishment, and a trip back down to the floor. 

So Raijin was on his own today. 

He sat on the edge of the counter, watching her hand closely as she stirred the hot caramel, his tail flicking in irritation. She’d been at this for nearly an hour already, how long would this take? Ah, there it was, her hand strayed too close to the pot. In a flash, he was by her side, gently gripping her wrist between his hands and pulling it back. He couldn’t speak to her, not like he could with Hanzo, so he merely chattered at her instead.

Briallen chuckled, shaking him off and patting his head. “Rai, the more you do this, the longer it’s going to take me,” she said, shaking her head. “You can climb all over me once I’m done, okay?”

Raijin sat back on his haunches, chuffing in irritation. At least this time she didn’t cast him off to the ground. Flicking his tongue a bit, he came closer to the pot to look inside as she turned away to take care of something else, his curiosity winning out. If he couldn’t keep her away, he could at least keep watch on the contents of her cooking. The caramel bubbled away in the pot, slowly turning the light golden colour she needed. When it did, he chittered loudly, catching her attention.

“Look at you, being helpful all of a sudden!” She smiled down at him, scratching the underside of his chin. He happily thunked his tail against the counter in response. “Tell you what, if you and your sister can keep from making a huge mess, you two can help out.” 

Fujin was up on the counter in an instant, nosing the bag of flour with interest. Raijin had to hurry over to hold the bag steady before it went flopping over the edge of the counter. Great, now he’d need to keep an eye on his sister and the woman. He snorted at Fujin, telling her not to get herself in trouble, before he hurried over to where Briallen was measuring out the butter. 

He helped her carry things back and forth, while Fujin, somehow kept things clean, though it meant she herself got covered in flour and sugar, batter, and, somehow, pieces of rosemary. And then, the cake was in the oven and the caramels were sitting in their moulds. Briallen cooed over how much of a help they’ve been, running her fingers lovingly through Raijin’s mane while Fujin sat and licked at the ingredients covering her. 

“Oh, Fu, let’s get you clean up, shall we?” Briallen chuckled and scooped her up, carrying her over to the sink. 

Raijin watched with surprising jealousy as the woman rinced his sister off with warm water. Eventually, he got tired of watching and hopped in himself, brushing muzzles with his sibling and biting at the bubbles that rose from the sink.

Briallen laughed, scooping them both out and setting them down on a towel spread across the counter. “Both of you are such troublemakers sometimes,” she murmured, going to dry them off. Before she could, however, the timer of the oven went off. The cake was done.

Raijin, still wet, leaped onto her shoulder, chattering at her about being safe and using the oven mitts, even if she couldn’t hear him. He gently nipped her ear when she opened the oven without the mitts, giving her a disappointed look when she turned to glare at him.

She shuddered. “Ugh, don’t look at me like that. You look too much like Hanzo…” Still, she reached for the mitts and slid them on, much to his satisfaction.

The cake came out looking perfectly, and Briallen slammed the oven door shut with her hip as she turned to place it on the cooling rack. They were both busy inspecting the cake when a loud bang startled the both of them and she whirled around. The force from the oven door slamming shut had caused the flour bag, which had been precariously placed in the cabinet above, to fall over onto the stove top, spilling flour everywhere, before it fell to the floor. In the middle of the mess sat Fujin, absolutely covered in flour. The dragon sneezed, sending a puff of flour shooting into the air.

Raijin snorted in amusement, watching his sister wade her way out of the flour mess, leaving little white footprints on the counter as she chuffed miserably.

“Oh, Fu!” Briallen sighed, chuckling despite the mess. “We only just got you cleaned up!”

“Whoa! What happened in here?”

Raijin looked up in surprise as his second favourite human came strutting into the kitchen, holding a bag of groceries. He hopped off the woman’s shoulders to claw his way up the serape, nuzzling against the man’s beard. 

Jesse chuckled, gently rubbing the top of the dragon’s head. “Hey there partner! Did you cause this mess?”

“No, I did. I apparently didn’t put the flour away well enough. These two were just helping me,” Briallen said, offering the cowboy the batter spoon she’d set aside for him. Raijin and his sister had taken a few sneaky licks, though neither of them seemed to notice.

Jesse laughed, shaking his head. “These two ain’t never been helpful, I don’t know what you’ve done to them, sweetheart. Need help cleanin’ up?”

She smiled, nodding. “Please? I still need to ice the cake while it’s warm.”

Raijin stretched his neck forward, taking another lick of the batter. Mess or not, he’d say today was a success.


	5. Hot Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! I had some personal troubles and they took up a lot of time these past few days. The good news is I'll be starting a new job soon! Bad news is it will leave less time for this. But I'll try to keep up the best I can. Some days just don't bring the same inspiration as others, unfortunately, but we'll work through it!

“You miss him, don’t you?” Briallen asked, coming up behind Jesse with a mug in each hand. She knew how hard it was for Jesse whenever Hanzo had to leave for some trip or another. Knew how it was for Hanzo when Jesse had to do the same. She’d been there for both, hell, had even been there when both of them had been gone and it was just her.

This whole relationship was new to her, she hadn’t been a part of their lives nearly as long, so their absence didn’t bother her as much as they bothered them. They relied on each other for so much, she would be lying if she said it didn’t make her the teensiest bit jealous. She hoped one day she’d be as important to them as they were to each other, but that day hadn’t come yet. So she would just have to wait.

Jesse smiled softly, glancing up at her before looking out at the snow. “Yeah… More than I’d care to admit. He’s grown on me.”

She couldn’t help the quiet laugh, the way she warmed a bit when he turned that pretty smile on her. But there was a different look in his eyes than was there normally when he looked at her. That look was normally reserved for Han. It stung a bit. “Like a fungus?”

Jesse chuckled, patting the seat next to him. Looking out one of the windows wasn’t the same as actually being out there in the cold, but there was a strange chill to be found in the action. “I suppose. Not unlike you,” he teased, reaching to wrap an arm around her when she sat down.

Briallen rolled her eyes. “Oh, hardee har har. Take your cocoa before it gets cold, cowboy.” She watched as his eyes lit up and he eagerly took the cup from her. “I used those hot chocolate bombs you like so much. Thought it might cheer you up a bit.”

He took a sip and groaned, closing his eyes to enjoy the taste for a second before he turned and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek. “You’re such a thoughtful doll.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Just don’t like seeing you upset, Jesse. That frown doesn’t look quite right on you.” 

They sat there for a little while, just sipping on their cocoa, watching the snowfall outside. As they did so, Briallen found herself coming to a startling conclusion. 

Perhaps she wasn’t as important to them as they were to each other. Not yet. But that didn’t stop them from being that important to her. That didn’t stop them from being the lights of her life. 

She smiled, taking another sip and wedging herself against Jesse’s side. One day they’d all see eye to eye. For now, she was content to look up in wonder.


	6. Scarf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I will not apologise for sliding off the fluff train

The scarf was a garish red. Old and torn and raggedy, but she couldn’t toss it. Couldn’t throw it in the bin. She had found it in her box of winter clothes, the box that had been tucked away when she first got here. She didn’t know how it came to be in that box, after all, she was normally pretty good about returning clothing she had borrowed, but there it had been nonetheless, sitting nestled among coats and hats, one bright beacon of sadness in a box of otherwise emotionless bits of fabric.

She sat on the floor, cradling that scarf to her chest, breathing in the musty scent of mothballs and memories. He’d given her this scarf, Gibs had, let her borrow it one night out on the town back when her hair was short and her neck exposed. She had meant to give it back to him, but one thing had led to another and, well, there was no giving anything back to the dead now, was there?

She remembered that night clearly, she had gone out for her birthday. Newly twenty two without a memory to her name, it was just her and Gibs at that time, after all, that was the night they’d met. For a while there, she was afraid he was going to ask her out. Not that she didn’t love Gibson, she just was not in the right place for a relationship at the time. But he never did, thankfully. Losing him as a friend hurt enough, she couldn’t even imagine how much more painful that would have been if he’d been her lover.

The club had been loud, packed, even. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, what with it being so close to Christmas, the holidays seemed to have a way of making everything loud and bright. It stunk of sweat and bodies and alcohol, of spilt beer and empty promises, of life. It made her nervous, made her tremble as she weaved her way through the throng of people, making her way over to the bar. There she’d been greeted by a pair of bright hazel eyes and a smile. It was funny, she’d gone out that night looking for an escape, and left with a saviour.

He’d watched her for a little while, making her frown as she tipped back a drink. Whiskey, probably. She didn’t like it. Not that she would have known, she didn’t know a lot of things in those days. 

“Can I help you?” she asked, wrinkling her nose at the taste of the alcohol on her tongue. Maybe she should have just stuck to beer, but even that was kind of gross.

Gibson had immediately flushed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. “Oh, sorry, I just… I couldn’t help but notice how lonely you looked and-”

“I’m not going home with you, if that’s what you’re getting at,” she said quickly, looking him up and down. He was pudgy, soft, and would be easy to take down if he decided to get handsy. Men liked to do that, to wait until she was drunk and try to put their hands on her. She never let them get far. 

Gibson let out a short laugh, running his fingers through his hair. “Uh, no, that’s not… What’s your drink of choice? I’ll buy the next one for you.”

“Not another whiskey, I can tell you that,” she responded with a curt snort. “What would you recommend?”

That got him to smile, a little bright beam of light in the otherwise darkened club. Ok, she could admit he was a little cute. “Two rum and cokes please, and put them on my tab, would you, Larry?”

She watched as the drinks were made, smiling gratefully as the bartender slid her drink directly to her instead of over to the new guy. The drink was surprisingly nice, which was new, she didn’t enjoy the taste of many alcohols. “Alright, I’ll admit, you’ve got a nice taste in drinks. But I’m still not going home with you.”

They talked for a good while that night, longer than she’d talked with anyone in a bar, and after a while, she began to feel there was something familiar about him. It felt like he was an old friend. 

A good portion into the night, her phone buzzed in a pattern she recognised. Someone on the forum had sent her a message, a certain FlowerBear396 when she checked it. Whatever was said was not worth remembering, but Gibson’s reaction was. 

With a gasp, he swiped up her phone, looking down at the familiar screen, then looked back up at her with bright eyes, ignoring the daggers she was shooting at him. “Wait a second, _you’re_ MemoryH0le?”

She frowned, snatching her phone back before she shoved it into her pocket. “Yeah? What about it?”

Gibson looked about as giddy as a schoolgirl who’d just been told she was getting a pony. “I’m GeniusH4cker! Oh my gosh! I never thought I’d actually meet you in person! You’ve got to tell me what Dr. Ziegler was like!”

And that was how she’d met her best friend, a silly little club on a night where she wanted nothing but to escape from the world for a bit. Gibson would go on to save her life, just by being there, when she thought she had nothing left to live for. Gibson would go on to become one of the most precious and important people to her. She only wished he knew how much he’d meant to her.

“Darlin’? Sugarpie, where are you?” Jesse peered into the closet from the doorway behind her, looking down at her with a worried gaze. “Everythin’ alright?”

Briallen sniffled, wiping at her eyes and clutching the scarf tightly to her chest as she stood. “Yeah… yeah, I’m okay. I just… I found Gibson’s scarf…” 

She didn’t need to say another word. In an instant, Jesse pulled her into a warm embrace, letting her cry quietly into his chest. “It’s okay, darlin’. You did the best you could, and he knows that. I promise.”


	7. Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In theme with this prompt, I have created an official Over Easy playlist! You can find it right here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5W2oIdqLXS4dXI2B5bYSOs?si=5IKw0M29SbamH2pV_lRaPw

Jesse hated it when she got that look in her eyes. It was there in her thousand-yard stare, in the way she looked at him, but also didn’t at the same time, in the way her eyes would just glance over something without really seeing it. Whenever she got that look, it meant her mind was going to bad places, places he tried so hard to keep her out of.

It didn’t always work.

Sometimes, she just didn’t let it work. When the movies and the game nights and everything else just didn’t catch her attention, didn’t break that mental cycle he knew she was spiraling down, he felt like giving up, letting her spiral. But he knew he couldn’t do that. He knew he had to help her fight this, and sometimes that meant being unconventional.

Tonight was a night to be unconventional. 

She was sitting in the window seat, watching the snow fall outside the window, a shawl pulled tight around her shoulders. It had been a favourite spot of hers ever since she found that scarf, and nine times out of ten, he would find her here, sad and despondent where she was normally at least a little happy go lucky.

“Athena, play the song,” he said softly as he came into the room, looking over at her with that soft, fond smile. 

“Of course. Would you like me to dim the lights as well?” Athena sounded about as excited for this as he was. The song, _She is Everything_ , started off quiet at first, before the volume was raised just a few notches.

He chuckled. “No, leave them up for now.”

Briallen didn’t look up until the music started playing and Jesse had laid his hand on her shoulder. The look she gave him was confused, and a little frustrated. “What the hell are you playing, McCree?” she asked, leaning into his touch with a conflicted smile.

“Oh, just a little somethin’. Brad Paisley is a wonder, ain’t he?” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “C’mon darlin’, dance with me?”

She sat there for a second, listening to the song play, before giving him a “really?” look. “What are you buttering me up for?”

He laughed, gently taking her hand into his as she reached out, and pulled her up against his chest. “Nothin’, darlin’. Just wanted to see you smile. I think it’s workin’,” he whispered, leaning his head down to press a kiss to her cheek. “No more thinkin’, okay? Just listen and dance. Let ol’ Jesse take care of you for a little while.” 

She chuckled, slipping her fingers between his to lace them together, and surrendering. “If you insist.”

“I do, so you’d better,” he teased, holding her tightly as they just swayed in place. He liked how easily she slotted against him, like a puzzle piece he’d been missing for years. Her hands were so much smaller than his own, and she felt so tiny in his embrace, he felt like he had to be so gentle with her. But she was stronger than that, and he knew it. She was strong enough to get here, to show she wasn’t the same woman she’d been before, even if she didn’t remember who she was. “You’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, pumpkin,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “You’ve just gotta stop lettin’ you beat yourself up. We’re all here if you need to talk.”

She sighed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “I know… I’m sorry if I’m worrying you it’s just… It’s hard.”

“I know, darlin’, I know. Loss is always hard, ‘specially your first.” He held her tightly, pressing her warmth against him. “It don’t get much easier either, unfortunately. But you’re strong, I know you can get through this.”

She clung to him, her fingers tightening in the back of his shirt. “I’m sorry-”

“Don’t apologise for anythin’, darl’,” he murmured, shaking his head. “You’ve got nothin’ to apologise for. C’mon, no more talkin’. Just be with me.”


End file.
